Phil Mickelson has hailed the support of LIV Golf in Australia as "exceptional", as the Saudi-backed series heads down under for the very first time this week.
After three weeks off the LIV schedule returns, as Greg Norman takes his breakaway league to his home country for LIV Adelaide. Since forming last summer the Saudi-funded circuit has rocked the boat of professional golf, and has drawn plenty of criticism for doing so.
At a number of tournaments based in the United States, the families and victims effected by the 9/11 terror attacks have staged protests against LIV, due to the breakaway tour's links to Saudi Arabia.
Some of golf biggest names have been critical of Norman and co too, with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy hitting out at LIV Golf whilst flying the flag for the PGA Tour. Whilst hostilities remain Stateside, arguably LIV's biggest star Mickelson has been blown away by the support in Australia.
For the first time since forming last June, all three days of a LIV event are sold out with over 63,000 fans expected to descend on The Grange across the week. Lauding LIV's supporters ahead of the event, Mickelson told 10 News First: "The support that Adelaide and Australia has shown the entire LIV Golf league has been exceptional.
"We are very excited to be here." The group of players who will no doubt be most looking forward to tee it up at The Grange this week are all-Aussie team Ripper GC, led by Australian fan favourite and Open champion Cameron Smith.
Looking forward to the reception he will receive come Friday's opening tee shot, Smith told the LIV Golf website : "I think it’s gonna be unreal. I’ve been lucky enough to play Presidents Cups down there. I think the Aussie crowd really gets behind the home team.
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"Leish [Marc Leishman] and I played a World Cup in Melbourne as well and Aussies in general are just really big sports fans.” The Champion Golfer of The Year's thoughts were also echoed by his ripper teammate Marc Leishman, who is also excited to play in front of a bumper home crowd.
"The crowds are going to be so big, it won’t really matter what hole you’re off. There’s gonna be so many people," added Leishman. "We all want to play really well there. And I’d love to win individually but as a team as well. We haven’t been on the podium at a regular event yet and we really want to do that.”
